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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · press · march · branch · bark · date · pit · mate

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — to shout
  3. press — to push
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. march — music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — a publisher
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pit — a hole
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — a division
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com